The Meeting of Flames
by Passionworks
Summary: Azula Trilogy part one. Azula is to be crowned as the heir of the Fire Nation, but it comes with a price... Rated for imagery and minor sexual content.
1. Prologue

The Meeting of Flames

Prologue

_"I need a suitor, an heir to the throne. That is all I ask of you."_

Azula sneered at the thought. She did not want a husband, nor did she need one. She did not wish to immerse herself in the care of a child. She despised the young. Never did she want to fall pregnant at the will of a man. She could not put herself up to carrying another's weight around. No, Azula felt that motherhood was corruption. A child would consume her very existence from the moment of conception.

Did her father not realize her aspirations?

She wanted prominence, to stand out as the greatest leader of her nation. The Fire Nation, she felt, would fall at the hands of her too noble-minded brother. She knew he would fear power. He could not hold it as she could. She would be the first female leader of the Fire Nation, and what a great honor it was.

But it would be short-lived. A man, a husband, a suitor, would take her place. Male dominance was the shortfall of the Fire Nation. What job could a man do that a woman could do better?

Not one damn thing.

The only reason she would take the throne was to destroy Zuko's bloodline. Though this was all in good reason, she felt that she was the puppet of her father. She would have to rival the newly crowned Phoenix King. She would be second in line. She desired to rule the four nations. She had a greater power than that of her father. His flame was nothing but pitiful in her own sane mind. No, her fire consumed, murdered, and corrupted the lower civilizations. His was a spiteful act of show. No greed, no rage, she believed.

Azula was more than that. And no man could steal that from her. No man could make her carry the weight of _his_ heir, _his_ first-born son. If anything, she would rather a _daughter_ take the rightful place on the throne. If only she could make it possible.

If only she was not the toy of her father's silly game. She was not a prize to be won. She was to be feared. She wanted man to fall to his knees, beg for her forgiveness.

But she knew to show restraint. She respected her father, thanked him for her own existence. He gave her power. It did not conceive from her mother's womb. She was perfect in his image, the apple of his eye. She would never show disdain from that.

At that is where Zuko would fall. His mere disadvantage was from their mother. He owed his gratitude to her. He was perfidious, disloyal to the crown. There is not a thing as love in the Fire Nation. Passion is defeat; it is the murder of fire. His idol was a clown, a hopeless figure of war. Uncle Iroh was a father to him.

But would she fall? Would she be the mother of a new heir? She could not deny her role in the history, the balance of the Fire Nation.

But why did it hurt her so much?

_"I need a suitor, an heir to the throne. That is all I ask of you."_


	2. Chapter One: Insanity Rising

Chapter One: Insanity Rising

_"You will remain here in the Fire Nation."_

Azula growled to herself. How dare her father betray her so? It boiled through her veins, heated her soul in a scorching ecstasy. Her eyes yearned to see the demise of the Earth Kingdom. She wanted to sneer at helpless faces, expressionless prisoners. She recalled on the precious memories of her own.

_"…And burn it all to the ground."_

_"…Let them rot!"_

Yes, it was her desire, her own vision, to execute the Earth Kingdom. She smiled to the reverberation of flames, heat, and death. The mighty kingdom would swelter like rotting flesh. In her hands, it would be painful, slow, merciless, almost orgasmic. Mercy is the coward's dying wish. Her father was that of the word. He was mindlessly pitiful, unaware of his mistake in judgment.

_"You will remain here in the Fire Nation."_

Azula lowered her head. Defeat consumed her. She let a man dominate. She sensed the betrayal of her own nature. Azula shuttered as visions of man stood atop of her, eyes never holding back. The sin was unbelievably sexual to her. She felt naked, impure, wasted. She lost her own virginity, one of will and strength. It was a debt she could not pay. Innocence was never a renewable resource. Its firm grip had finally let go. Had she lost her touch? Did it all cease with the consumption of her father's greed?

Azula felt it melt away, fading into oblivious existence.

She closed her eyes…

A soft, gentle, stoking sensation stripped her from her reverie. A servant made her way behind her, and began to slowly comb out the princess' seemingly perfect hair.

Yes, she _was_ perfect, indeed.

_"I don't have sob stories like all of you."_

The maid pulled each tress with tender fingers. The girl was obviously hesitant. It was all in the fear that Azula instilled into those that served her. With each painless stroke, Azula noted a slight shiver of the servant's hand, but she found that it did not bother her. She peered to her right. A smaller woman kneeled before her, clutching a bowl of prepared cherries. Each was individually stripped of the pit. That was the way Azula preferred it. That was how-

Her teeth slammed hard onto the fault. It spoiled her mouth, her insides, the very core of her being. In an instant, she knew that no one, even those of the lowest breed, could be trusted. It was all an act of betrayal. It was her father who did this. He was behind this. He told these useless souls to choke her…

This young woman, this slave, this filth, was an _assassin_, the hired gun of her father's will.

_So this was how he played the game._

Azula nonchalantly extended her hand. The flustered princess spat out the pit. The tiny, somewhat embryonic thing fell into her palm.

"_What_ am I holding?" Azula's eyes stabbed at the girl, ate through her skin.

_Who is afraid now?_

The servant avoided the interrogator's gaze. Azula frowned at this mockery.

"Answer the question," she spat in a manner of ferocity.

The minute figure glanced upward. Their eyes met for a moment, but felt like an eternity to the maid. Azula was prideful of her own dominance. She was confident, her ego was at its highest.

Azula waited patiently for the reply. She wanted to hear the fear, and to see it rise with each fallen tear.

Shaking: "A cherry pit, Princess."

There it was, the voice she needed to hear.

Azula urged on. "Correct…"

_Why? Why did my father want this of me? Was it because I refused to offer him an heir? Was it because I needed the power more than he did?_

_Was it because I blatantly betrayed him?_

_Or rather, was it because I betrayed myself? Was it the harbinger of my assassination?_

She did not say those words. A reminder was best: "…And what day is this?"

Another beautiful hesitation followed. The girl was eating from the palm of her hand. "It is the day of your_ coronation._"

"Yes, it is…"

_Did you honestly believe that a mere cherry pit would stop me, Father? Is this your shameful way of depicting humor? Well, Father, you have none._

"…So please, tell me why on the most _important_ day of my life, you've _decided_ to leave a pit in my cherry?"

_I expect to hear an answer from you, Father, not this damn thing you call a servant. Did you make sure that I grabbed this death wish that one calls food?_

_Answer honestly, Father…_

She listened to the void of her own mind. Her father did not answer. He _desired_ a rise from her. It depicted dominance again. _No!_ She yearned to fight it off. She wished to cease the spread of this disease. Her body was caressed by the evils of her father's crude bondage. It _raped_ her, tore through her soul like shedding skin.

_No, listen to the girl._

The servant _decided_ to answer. "It wasn't a _decision_. It was just a _small mistake_."

_But that does not excuse your actions, Father. Decision or not, you tried to have me killed! And my own demise it not a small matter! You of all people should understand that. Are you not the Phoenix King? Am I not your daughter?_

_Have I lost your love too…?_

He sanity returned once more. _"Small?"_

_Is my life a mere measurement? Does it dwindle inch by inch?_

"Do you realize what _could_ have happened if I hadn't sensed the pit in time?"

_Yes, admit to your crime. You are as guilty as they come. You wanted to take my power away. I can assure you, retched peasant, I am not weak. I can take anything your slimy, corrupt hands can throw at me._

"Do you have no answer? Start thinking."

The woman shrugged her shoulders. Azula felt a pang of disrespect shadow her.

Trembling lips slowly responded: "I suppose you could have…_choked_?"

_That was not a question. I demand you answer me!_

She let it rest. "Yes. Then you will understand the _severity_ of your crime."

_Kill her! Let her rot away like Mai and Ty Lee. Understand?_

"I understand, Princess. Please. Forgive me."

_Do not beg at my feet! I do not forgive sin. I am not God! Or am I?_

"Very well."

The woman smiled for the first time. Azula could feel the girl's spirit uplift from her clutches.

_No! I will not let go of you!_

_But I am to be a great leader. To get respect, one must give it._

_No! Fear is what grabs. Respect is a downfall, a mere act of insanity._

_And I am not insane._

Azula continued with a tender voice. She hated the tone. Terrible, foul, impure. Her stomach churned. "Since it _is_ a _special_ day, I will show mercy."

_Mercy? Did I really just put myself in the position to say that?_

_Now you are playing games with my words, Father?_

The servant smiled again.

_Do not give me that! I will show no mercy to you. I will punish you in ways that I see fit. You are like my brother…_

"You are _banished_. Leave this palace _immediately_."

She bowed down to the princess, and spoke no more. Her back did not turn, but she left with her tail tucked between her legs.

The other servants eyed Azula, waiting for what she would say.

Something escaped from her lips: "What are you all looking at?"

Azula peered down at her feet. They did not shine. They were not perfect.

_They needed to be._

"I have two feet that need scrubbing! And make sure you get in between the toes."

_Because even the smallest imperfections are poisons._

"I won't have my first day as Firelord marred by poor foot hygiene."

_Cleanliness is obsession._

_But wait…_

_Are these women in on it too? I cannot trust them. No one can be trusted anymore._

_My father has used them too._

_Despite what you have done I will not give you a child. I will not create the heir. Never! Such a thing would never dominate me!_

_I am domination!_

"I sense more disloyalty here," Azula said with a sneer. "You will join her. Leave this palace."

The girls stood agape, motionless, fearful. What had _they_ done to the princess?

"I am perfection. I do not need all of you to conceive my flawless image."

The women nodded simultaneously. They slowly made their way to the exit, careful not to catch Azula's eye.

"Wait, girls." She said. It was random, out of the ordinary. "I am doing this for your own good, you know. Consider it a mere generous gesture on my behalf.

"Besides, women are _not_ slaves.

"_Men are…"_


	3. Chapter Two: Maternal Fire

Chapter Two: Maternal Fire

_"The divine right to rule is something you are born with."_

And Azula _was _born with it. It was in her blood, nestled in the deepest chambers of her soul. It was in her eyes, those deep pools of topaz that glistened like the gem in sunlight. It was in the palm of her hand.

_But it was gone._

Her own birthright, it seemed. Something set in stone, a finality of life…

_She_ _lost her footing, felt the chills of water engulf her body, and sank below oblivion…_

_She never came up for air…_

_No, breathe…_

She imagined it like a child seeping its first gasp of life. The lungs expanded, allowing a voice to be heard.

_Then, a cry._

Tears stained her flawless face, tracing each curve with a swift push from gravity.

She just needed time alone. She realized that she was gratified, so thankful to be alive.

At a time like this, was living really worth it?

_Of course it was! Zuko would not have the throne._

_No. Perhaps it was not. Being Firelady was of no major importance._

_I am alive. I still have a chance…_

_Do I not?_

Azula's thirst was quenched by the salt of her tears. They fell more frequently, each developing a heavier stance upon her face.

_No, I cannot be seen like this. One of power dries the tears of another._

Her left hand rubbed the water away. Her golden eyes disappeared like a clenched fist. She filled air into her lungs and released it with a burst of blue fire. It swirled around her, crackling and sizzling in abundance.

_My child is that of the flame. My womb holds a life conceived from the sun and fueled by my rage._

_Defenseless is that of an infant of flesh. Fire is free to consume, instantly weaned from the maternal breast of the creator._

Azula allowed a grin to cross her face. Just the thought that she was already a mother gave her immense comfort. Her lungs expanded in her ecstasy. A heat grew that protected her seat upon the throne.

_You protect me, and I shall protect you. You are the precious meaning of my existence. I live to make you stronger, to guide you up the ladder of power. I hold you in my hands. I nourish you with the air I breathe._

Booming laughter reverberated inside the walls of her daydream. Despite a minute rasp, it was shrilling, desperate for attention.

It caught Azula off guard.

A shiver slithered down her spine. She was _afraid_. It was a newborn sensation to her.

_Wait! Father, how dare you mock my emotions? When this war is over, you will be the one on your knees. You will reside by a subordinate race._

_I will be on top of you._

Azula shed herself of her doubt. She eased her mind just for a moment of peace.

The voice, however, had not the heart to allow it.

_"I need a suitor, an heir to the throne. That is all I ask of you."_

_Can you not see it, Father? Are you blind by design? This, this flame I hold within me is my heir. It is my legacy._

_I can give you nothing better than this._

Azula fought off the temptation of her own imagination. Her eyes sparkled as she viewed her father upon the airship fleet. His foreboding flame burning…

No, better yet, _barely grazing_ the Earth Kingdom. His fire had not the breath of power. Sozin's Comet did not endow him with the strength of _"a hundred suns."_

The earth then pounded him.

Azula laughed in amusement. "His attack is probably nothing but child's play," she whispered to herself, "and the Earth Kingdom will not…"

_Fall! All of those of past Earth affiliation could not be trusted!_

_And that includes my most trusted Dai Li agents. Those who have sworn to protect me. Those who freed me from the binds of earth on the Day of Black Sun…_

_Long Feng…_

_They betrayed him before they joined me! Could they have it in them to betray me as well?_

In an instant, Azula summoned the agents. Gripping her now sweaty palms upon the arms of the golden throne, she slowly calmed herself. She sighed a deep and throaty growl. She allowed her eyes to shut…

_Why are they taking so long? I am to be Firelord. My needs are of utmost necessity._

_But of course, they are working on the opposition. I'm sure they are planning something horrible upon me._

_Did I completely eliminate all assassins inside these walls? I am being watched. Eyes are peering at me, crawling upon my skin._

_Bright, but sinister. Gold, but impure as pyrite._

_My father's eyes, no doubt…_

A knock.

Seven Dai Li agents entered the room. All were in complete uniform, walking at a perfect pace, as to not pass one another.

The leading agent, Azula did not ever care to know his name, spoke first. "You sent for us, Princess? Is everything alright?"

_How nonchalant you are. No distress at all. I know how concerned you are for my safety. If you cared so much, why did it take you five minutes too long to get here?_

She spoke: "Actually, everything is _not_ alright! Do you know how long it took you to get here?"

_It took forever, quite honestly. If you really want to know, I wish you had displayed this kind of disloyalty to the Earth King. His beloved bear had not one ounce of protection._

_He should have perished on your watch._

The agent frowned at her, "A few minutes, I guess?"

_You guess? You do not guess on my dime! Bet your own life when you gamble! And besides, precious minutes of my life were wasted because of you._

"Five, to be precise."

_Five minutes that lasted an eternity. Someone could have killed me. Someone could have raped or abused me. _

_And no one would know…_

She continued: "In which time an assassin could have snuck in, done away with me, and been on his merry way!"

"My apologies, Princess."

_An apology? That is all I get for my misery? I am not falling for this insignificant lie, Father. I suggest you try a little harder next time._

"Is this how you plan to treat your new Firelord? With tardiness and disloyalty?"

_I know you will say yes. I can read it on your face._

"The Dai Li would never betray you!"

_What an incredible lie that is! Anyone has the capacity to lie. It is a part of human nature._

_It is part of your nature. You did it to Long Feng; you could do it to me. I am not even part of the Earth Kingdom!_

"And I'm sure that's _just_ what you told Long Feng before you turned against him and joined me…"

_Should I show, what is it, mercy? Banishment is best. They can go kill someone else, and not me._

"You're all banished!"

"But?"

"Goodbye!"

_I need not to hear your little sob story. Just leave, all of you. Get out of my sight!_

"Please send the next group on your way out!"

_So I can banish them too…_


	4. Chapter Three: Collapse of the Imperials

Chapter Three: Collapse of the Imperials

The throne became her bed. Azula had found time in her day to rest. Too much had happened.

It stressed her.

Her neck was slightly turned to her right as her chin rested upon her breast. She was just in a light slumber. Her slow, even breaths created an air of peace in the Firelord's chamber. The fire, still lit with a ravenous disposition, heated her slender body. She found it in her to smile in her sleep.

_Finally, I have found peace._

But peace did not ever wish to bestow itself to those of wrathful desire.

A rush consumed her lungs. Her breathing pattern began to labor with enormous stress. Her breasts levitated and fell with each arduous gasp. Her mouth twitched and growled. Her eyebrows became crooked with displeasure.

_My reverie…_

_Father. He is here with me now! Taking me down, pushing me into oblivion._

_He is choking me…_

_I cannot breathe…_

_I will not survive past this day._

_But I must!_

Her father's voice: _"I need a suitor, an heir to the throne. That is all I ask of you._

_"I have decided to crown you the new Firelord."_

_But it is not to be, Father! You lied to me. Me! Your own daughter. Your own flesh and blood._

_You, my own father, one who has always been my idol, has found it best to turn against everything I have planned. Father, you would be nowhere without me. You probably would have died on the Day of Black Sun if it were not for me. I sacrificed my own sanity to bear the clothes of the Earth Kingdom. I pledged my allegiance to them! I allowed such words to graze my tongue._

_What have you done to repay me?_

Nothing…

_Answer me, you silly coward!_

_Your silence…_

_That is right! You have done nothing! I do not perform out of the kindness of my heart._

_You should know. I inherited that from you._

_I have given you so much in my life. I have become your true prodigy. I have become perfect at your expense and your pleasure._

_As of now, the only thing you ever gave me was a bunch of traitors. I inherited your burdens. You hired all those who work for me: My servants, the Imperial Firebenders…_

_The Imperials! They are still here. They are your eyes of this institution! They are here to protect you._

_Not me._

Azula's eyes opened in a savage, bloody birth of ecstasy. The Imperial Firebenders were just outside the door of her throne. They were waiting to strike.

_But so am I…_

She summoned them at once. Dressed with the skull mask of only those of elite stance, she immediately shot them a look of disdain.

She spoke first. "For generations, Firelords have utilized your strength as means of protection.

"You think you have potency. You believe that you have dignity.

"You have neither. I assure you, I know why you are here. My father has used you as a weapon to break my skin."

A single Imperial spoke: "Your father, Phoenix King Ozai, has put us in charge of your safety, Princess."

_My safety! I do not need protection! I am perfect, flawless, pristine._

_Father does not concern himself with my well being._

"I am sure that is just what he wanted you to think. There is more to his preparation than simplistic fortification.

"He wants revenge upon me. I will not give him what he desires from me most.

"An heir."

"So… this is all because you refuse to bequeath a child to keep your bloodline?" the Imperial joked.

_Men! They cannot comprehend the internal symbolism of women! How dare he mock me! This is not a joke, Father!_

_It is not easy to accept the burdens of motherhood. I will never do it._

_Even if it means the throne, Father._

"Let me tell you something," Azula said, "my maternal responsibility within the walls of this nation is not to be toyed with."

She glared at him with her golden eyes. Her pupils dug deep into his flesh.

_He felt it._

"I am sorry, Princess. I plead for your forgiveness."

_Yes, down on your knees. You know, you men appear quite handsome playing the subordinate role. Perhaps you should play the game more often._

"I realize now that I do not need you. I am too faultless to need assistance from that of subordination. You work for my father, whom I have little respect for anymore. If you knew what was best for you, I would suggest you leave this palace."

The men bowed to her, and left the way they came in.

Satisfied, Azula closed her eyes again.

_Sin for sacrifice, torment is my savior._


	5. Chapter Four: Of Infinite Wisdom

Chapter Four: Of Infinite Wisdom

Their faces depicted their years. It was plainly obvious that each had seen a brighter day. Their wrinkles protruded in a grotesque manner, their bodies had begun to sag even in the most unsightly places, and what was more, each had never loved a man.

To Azula, Lo and Li may have not won her appreciation on the basis of beauty. No, it was more than that.

Each shared her detest for the opposite sex, and with them, they carried infinite wisdom.

Wisdom, it seemed, that could smooth even the roughest edges.

She realized that she needed them now. Though she found it incredibly difficult to look up to another, she knew that they each had a common destiny.

She glimpsed at it in their obvious visional impairment. They had conceived a successful life without man to guide them to submission. This, in Azula's mind, gave birth to the idea of female domination.

_And when they pass on, I will follow in their footsteps._

_This, this sagacity, Father, is something you will never take from me._

_You envy me that…_

Azula rose from her sleep. It was not much, she knew. She still could sense her weariness, her desperation. Her glossy topaz eyes lost their luster, and bags filled with lack of slumber protruded under them.

_A sign of weakness…_

_There is none! None at all!_

_I realize, Father, that you now consume my reveries._

_But you are not winning, I assure you that._

She allowed the matter to slide. Understanding that sleep deprivation was her only flaw was in its right mind, intricate, complex.

_Seemingly impossible…_

She was combating a bloody internal torment, a disease that had cultivated into her bloodstream.

_Fight it off, girl. You are Azula, one of a physical excellence._

_A purebred by birthright._

Azula scoffed. It was completely true.

_But why am I so torn and confused?_

_Lo and Li…_

_I need your wisdom now._

As if on cue, the twins entered the palace chamber. Their strides were equal, in a rush.

They were flustered.

_Why?_

Li, usually second to speak, found her courage to address Azula first: "Azula, we heard what happened."

_Such audacity. But who told you anything?_

Li continued: "Why have you banished all your servants?"

Lo next: "All your Dai Li agents?"

"And the Imperial Firebenders?"

_What? Did they speak to you? Did they converse their lies to you? Poison you to fall into the wrong hands?_

Azula shook her head.

_No, I need you._

She found her voice after a momentary pause. "None of them could be trusted."

_No one can be trusted._

"Sooner or later, they all would have betrayed me," she scowled, but she realized that the memory hurt.

"Just like Mai and Ty Lee did."

_They are rotting as I speak, withering away like dead flesh. I have eliminated that problem._

_But for some reason, it haunts me. Their eyes! I see their eyes!_

_Gloomy, expressionless. Obviously Mai._

_Bright, too bright. Ty Lee._

Azula tightly closed her eyes. But they watched her.

_The eyes are still here. Inside me._

_My head._

_My heart…_

But her fire, her child, saved her. The eyeballs burned in her blue hell. Each disappeared as speckles of ash.

_Dust is all they ever were to me._

A voice eradicated her trance: "Azula. We are concerned for you and your well-being."

_Concern is of no need, ladies._

_But, wait! The servants, agents, benders. It was not them!_

_Father…_

_You poisoned them, too? You have taken all that I have left. I respected them!_

_They gave me something precious._

_Have they abandoned it, now?_

"My father asked you to come here and talk to me, didn't he?"

_You have questioned me for the last time, Father. Am I a minute weakling to you now, one who needs constant consoling?_

_Father, I am not a child._

_Never was._

_But, yes, a man is one to take the throne. I will only play the role until a suitor is found._

_I am a woman._

_Do I not have it in me to rule this nation?_

_I am a prodigy. Who better to rule the Fire Nation than its greatest bender?_

"He thinks I can't handle the responsibility of being Firelord, but I will be the greatest leader in Fire Nation history."

_That, Father, I assure you of. Though my time in the position will be short, I will make the best of it._

_And change all the rules before a suitor of my worth would be found. By the time you find one_, _men will be completely eliminated from the burden of power._

_Then, maybe I would consider your request, just to pass my bloodline._

_My regime…_

"I'm sure you will," Lo's voice interrupted, "but considering everything that has happened today…"

_Yes, the stresses of the day have made me weary…_

"Perhaps it is best if you postpone your coronation."

_Utter disrespect! Words I could only hear escaping your mouth, Father. Indeed, they have discarded the vision that their lives once revolved around._

_Father, what have you done?_

Azula was unable to control her fury. "What? Which one of you just said that?"

Their crooked, wrinkled fingers pointed at each other, neither would take the blame.

_You cannot even admit your crime? That is treachery to the crown._

_You spoke out of turn, like my brother, Zuko._

_He earned his punishment, as will you._

"What a shame. There is only one way to resolve this."

_Burn them to the ground. They share not my aspirations anymore._

_Their words drove through my heart with such intensity. My true allies in all of this._

_Gone…_

_Of what use are they to me now, Father?_

"You two must duel each other. I order you to fight an Agni Kai!"

_Crude enough, yet simple and to the point. You have outdone yourself, girl._

"But…" Lo stuttered quietly.

"We're not Firebenders." The twins finished in unison.

_How dare they speak against their own chastisement! Such raw impudence!_

_But they are right, after all. What good would it be to witness a lack of justice?_

_Perhaps Agni would see it as disrespect on my part…_

_Just give them banishment. They are not worth much; both will end up crocking soon anyway._

"Alright, fine. Lo, you're banished. Li, you can stay."

_Let that hassle their withering minds._

"But I'm Li, so who's banished?"

_I do not show favor to one or the other, fools. I banished both of you. I am not stupid._

"Don't you hags understand?" Azula said defiantly, "I banished the both of you. You are no longer allies to me. Leave this palace.

"Your existence here is now over."

The elderly women nodded. Each bowed their heads, bending their rotund bodies as far as their crooked backs would allow. Once they left, Azula was alone at last.

_There is no one left, Father. I have eliminated each threat you passed to me._

_I will become Firelord, and I will accomplish my goals…_

_Alone._

_Just as you did to me…_


	6. Chapter Five: Mirrors of a Monster

Chapter Five: Mirrors of a Monster

_"The Dream of Reason Produces Monsters"- Francisco Goya_

_Silent…_

_Silent are the walls, now._

_I am alone here._

_I can survive._

_On my own…_

Azula was sleeping upon her king-sized bed in her quarters, nestled within a hushed palace, and mute voices.

She was finally receiving a well-deserved rest. She was as warm and peaceful as a fetus in the womb.

But as much as she needed it, her nation called her name.

They needed _her_ this time, not her father.

To Azula, it would be her name going down in history.

_Not Zuko's name…_

_Not the Avatar's name…_

_Not my father's name…_

_But mine._

She rose from the bed in a malevolent manner, recalling that she was on her own now. Noone was there to dress her, feed her, cater to her every whim.

But she did not need it, though.

_That is what makes me strong._

She then strode over to her mirror, and it reflected a face of power, greatness.

_A face of majesty._

She smiled at herself. She found that of all the faces in the whole Fire Nation, there was only one that pleased her.

_My own…_

Her right hand gently held her soft brush. She began to stoke each tress with the sincerity she could only give to those of respect. Each knot seemed to _loosen_ with ease.

_See, Father? I do not struggle caring for myself. I am not a doll in a servant's toy box._

_It is because I am perfection. I am of faultless beauty._

Azula then rested her brush on the small table next to her, and began wrapping a red braid into her _knotless_ hair.

She realized the tresses fell loose within the braid. It tangled onto her finger, leaving it stuck in a mass of imperfections.

_Why did this not work for me? If my maids can do it, then, for the love of Agni, so should I!_

_Why won't it come loose? It is engulfing my hand, spoiling it with blemishes._

_Spoiling it with a ruthless disease…_

With a violent, tormented tug, a few hairs fell from her scalp, and with them, her finger was released.

Azula was flustered with a sea of rage. Why did something of her own being turn on her?

_So, hair, you are in on this too? You used to cover my head with dignity and reason. Never did you ever fail me._

_How did my father get to you, too?_

_Why, of course! My father passed you on to me. You are a genetic part of him._

_I could cut every single sliver of you off my head! I would rather go bald than have you rest upon my great shoulders! You cover my head, my skull…_

_My mind…_

_You are the reason the reveries play. _

_The reason the voices dance._

_The reason the eyes glare._

_The reason the faces laugh._

_The reason…_

"_I need a suitor, an heir to the throne. That is all I ask of you."_

Azula glanced to her right and glared at a golden pair of scissors. She enveloped her thumb and forefinger into them and growled viciously.

"Alright, hair. It's time to face your doom!"

An ear-piercing slash erupted from the impact of the cut. Uneven strands of her own hair fell like a bloody exit wound.

She smiled a crooked, devilish grin.

Or, was it a frown?

"What a shame. You always had such beautiful hair."

_The reason…_

"_My own mother thought I was a monster."_

_That voice…_

_Abandoned me one night._

_Mother…_

Azula then recalled her mother's love. She found herself angry and disillusioned.

_Why?_

_Why are you here?_

_Why now…?_

"What are you doing here?"

_Answer me, Mother._

_Why on this day?_

_The day of my coronation?_

"I didn't want to miss my own daughter's coronation."

_But you missed out on my childhood! I had to grow up into a woman on my own!_

_I needed you, then…_

_But you were never there…_

_And you never said goodbye…_

_But even then you never loved me!_

_I lied compulsively._

_I cheated with fear and domination._

_I was nothing but a monster to you._

"Don't pretend to act proud. I know what you really think of me."

_A monster…_

_A demon to Zuko's angel._

Azula glared into her mother's blank eyes and saw her answer. "You think I'm a monster."

_I see it! I am still that monster to you. I see it in your eyes!_

_Everywhere…_

"I think you are confused."

_No I am not! I am perfectly sane._

_Maybe I am. I did not have a mother to raise me._

"You are troubled in more ways than one, my child." Ursa voice said.

_Sick that you think of me as your own._

The woman continued, "You want to lead this Nation, but what will become of you when you pass on?"

_Pass on? Are you suggesting my death?_

"Azula, when you die, noone will be there to take your place in honor. Your bloodline will end.

"The royal family will be no more."

_Your lies! I will live on forever! My name will be immortal, set in stone! I will never fall to a mortal demise!_

Azula cut in, "It is much more complicated than you know. My responsibility to this nation is far greater than yours."

"But motherhood just the same. It is a part of your life, to be the mother of the Fire Nation's next generation.

"You were born into this family for a reason, my daughter." Ursa calmly said.

"My reasons are of my own creation! Uncle always said that destiny is something you find for yourself!"

Ursa stayed silent. Perhaps she did not know what to say.

Azula did not know.

But Ursa brought up something else, "And what is more, all your life you've used fear to control people, like your friends, Mai and Ty Lee."

The reverie played…

_"And let them rot!"_

_Mai and Ty Lee…_

_Once my own friends. My only allies._

_Abandoned me…_

_They once feared me._

_Fear, my weapon._

_Like my fire, ferocious and deadly._

_I have nothing else…_

"Well, what choice do I have?"

_Choose for me, Mother._

_Perhaps I do not know the answer to my own question._

Ursa's figure stood immobile and silent.

_You still refuse to assist me. I am troubled._

_But, unlike you, I know my destiny._

_I trust noone…_

_Not Mai._

_Not Ty Lee._

_Not Zuko._

_Not my father._

_And especially, not you…_

Azula snarled in disgust. "Trust is for fools! Fear is the only reliable way."

_You left me…_

_Because you feared me._

_And you still do…_

_In your eyes…_

_The fear._

"Even you fear me."

_Do not lie. I am a better liar than you. You have something called a heart. I was born out of heartlessness. My fire, my child is hell._

_Hell that engulfs you in its flame._

"No, I love you, Azula. I do."

_Sincerity…_

_Selflessness…_

_Never words for me…_

_Never…_

Tears streamed down Azula's face. She could not fight them. She felt herself collapse to her own mother's words.

_She was telling the truth…_

Azula grabbed the brush upon the table and slammed it into the mirror with a ferocious howl. The once proud mirror shattered into tiny, minute pieces.

Ursa's image disappeared.

_The pieces…_

_Reveal…_

Azula's eyes glared into the mass of broken glass. It revealed her reflection, cracked and broken,

_Torn and confused._

And for the first time in her life, Azula fell to her knees.

_And wept…_


	7. Chapter Six: The Lady's Rage

Chapter Six: The Lady's Rage

_"I love you, Azula. I do."_

_My mother…_

_Loves me…_

_Father…_

Azula let her reverie slide.

_A sane mind is best, girl._

_This is my moment of glory._

_I will not have you ruin this for me, Father. After all, my coronation was out of your own request._

_But I have turned against you, now, Father. I see your game. Manipulation is futile._

_As I stand here, I realize that I still have no intention of agreeing with your request._

_As for you, Mother, you are just another figure on my father's list. He poisoned you a long time ago._

_Mother…_

_Do you love me?_

_Did you lie to me?_

_Why?_

She shook it off. She was upon the plaza steps, awaiting the crown. She was clothed in the Firelord's royal robe with her armor underneath.

_Just in case…_

Behind her, several Fire Sages swarmed around her. One held the royal diadem above her head. Her hair was still a tangle of knots and questions.

_Sloppy…_

_But it does not matter anyway._

_Looks are deceiving._

_Within the body, surrounding this soul is a force to be reckoned with. A deadly, devilish woman with the power to regain true order to the Fire Nation._

_And to give it what it deserves most._

_My own feminine domination._

The crown glistened in the red sky.

_A golden symbol of supremacy for its rightful owner._

There were no people there to see this ultimate moment.

_What a pity to miss it. But it is their loss. I will show them…_

The Fire Sage then spoke, "By decree of Phoenix King Ozai, I now crown you Firelord…"

The older man fell distracted to the sky.

_Disgrace. Time is of the essence here. I want that crown._

_I need that crown…_

Azula growled menacingly. Shaking her head in disgust, she glared back at the sage.

"What are you waiting for? Do it!" she ordered.

But of no use. The low, but familiar roar reverberated in the sky. A gigantic beast glided almost gracefully through the air.

_Why of course. An airbender…_

_Appa, the Avatar's stupid bison._

The large animal landed in front of Azula. Two figures jumped from his saddle.

"Sorry. But you're not going to become Firelord today.

"I am."

_No…_

_Brother…_

_Zuko._

_The firstborn._

_The supposed heir to the throne._

_Father sent him here._

_No! It was my mother! The reason she came was to see his coronation._

_Not mine…_

_The eyes!_

_Watching…_

_Their only wish is to see me collapse._

_But I will not!_

_So amusing is his feeble attempt at my crown._

Azula snickered. "You're hilarious."

A female joined Zuko. The disgusting peasant girl, Katara.

_Why her?_

_Why of course, Mai is in prison now. Zuko needed someone else…_

_Because Mai is not going to be coming out of the penitentiary for a very long time._

_So long that I will forget her face…_

Azula then gazed at Katara. She remembered what that girl did to her glory.

Katara stripped it from her like a ripped heart.

That peasant revived the Avatar, the world's only hope for _peace_.

"And you're going down." The Water Tribe girl said to her.

_Another to question my own demise. Such sick are you people, wishing that someone so great should expire._

_Depart this very life._

Azula shrugged it off once again. Her focus regained as the Fire Sage bent to place the coronet upon her head.

_But…_

_Wait…_

_Agni has delivered Zuko to me. Why waste it?_

_He could fall right here._

_Right now._

_Mercy?_

_I have none…_

"Wait," she unexpectedly said, turning to Zuko. "You want to be Firelord?"

_You do, don't you?_

_You think so too, Mother?_

She continued: "Fine. Let's settle this. Just you and me, Brother, in the showdown that was always meant to be!"

_Flames._

_Burning flesh._

_His flesh._

_Great Agni, give me strength._

"Agni Kai!"

_Zuko, you have never beaten me in an Agni Kai. Never in an honor duel, either, but what choice do you have?_

_Your destiny will end in fire…_

Zuko nodded his head, perhaps contemplating his chances of defeat.

"You're on."

Azula allowed a menacing grin to stretch across her face. Her left eye slightly twitched as her mind took it all in. She was greatly prepared to face her brother, as she had done a multitude of times. To her, it was no question as to who was to rise.

_It will be me on top of you. And once this is over, you will reside in prison, where you will rot._

_Just like your precious Mai…_

_And the era of male dominance will fall, and my new empire will be born._

_An empire in which the men are the slaves._

"_I need a suitor, an heir to the throne. That is all I ask of you."_

_No, Father. This tyranny will end here. I will not be forced to carry the burden of another being._

_Especially the being of a man's pleasure…_

But the voice of reason interrupted her moment.

_Katara…_

"What are you doing?" she questioned Zuko, "She's playing you."

_Hell, maybe you do have some intelligence after all, little girl._

Katara continued, "She knows she can't take us both, so she is trying to separate us."

"I know," Zuko answered, "but I can take her this time."

_Ha! This is one on one, Zuko. Do you honestly believe that you can take down the Fire Nation's greatest bender of the day of Sozin's Comet?_

_Today, my power is at its peak._

"But even you admitted to your uncle that you would need _help_ facing Azula." Katara questioned.

_Indeed, he will need all the help he can get. But this is a fire duel. Brother against sister._

_Sister above brother…_

_You will fight for a futile cause, Zuko. You are a banished prince, a traitor to your nation. Do you honestly believe that it is your destiny to restore its honor? That throne we combat for today is mine. I am the heir, not you. Firstborn or not, you are still below me._

Zuko then peered up at Azula, his eyes in wonder of what the power of flame had done to her.

He saw her lose her balance.

"There is something off about her. I can't explain it, but she is slipping." His eyes never left his sister's face, but his words were obviously directed at the Water Tribe peasant.

_Slipping? I am in perfect balance as of right now. I have the power of Agni keeping me afloat now._

_But the voices…_

_The eyes…_

_They are swarming me, consuming my flesh._

_Leave me!_

_Father…_

_Mother…_

_Have I lost you both?_

_Have I lost everything?_

_No! The throne is still within my grasp. I can touch it within my palm._

_Despite your disgusting faces…_

_Despite your vile words…_

_Destiny is on my side._

_Not yours._

"And this way, noone else has to get hurt." Zuko's words cut Azula's daydream.

_I have hurt so many people._

_But I have not the pity to display remorse, or mercy for that matter. I am so much better than that. Unlike you, Zuko, I do not allow my spirit to be consumed with the pains of another._

_I live life by my rules. I have noone to help me._

_And just so you know, that is what makes me stronger than you._

_I am alone…_

_Maybe I am happy about it._

_Perhaps I am depressed._

_But most of all, I find myself…_

_Enraged…_


	8. Chapter Seven: The Meeting of Flames

Chapter Seven: The Meeting of Flames

The cold stone cooled her knuckle as the moment coursed through her veins. Her eyes did not see behind her, but she knew her brother was there.

_As are the eyes!_

_They are surrounding the stage, creeping upon me._

_Awaiting the fall…_

_At the Meeting of Flames…_

Azula stood up at turned to face Zuko, her eyes never leaving his. Her breath was steady as she removed the robe from her broad, armored shoulders.

She sighed, "I'm sorry it has to end this way, Brother."

Zuko frowned. He had a sense that she had lied to him.

_"Azula always lies."_

_"Azula always lies."_

_Always…_

_Lies…_

Her noble brother's eyes penetrated hers. "No you're not."

_Indeed. I have never been sorry for you. I smiled upon you the day of your banishment._

_I wished the worst when you dueled our father._

_I laughed the first time I saw your scorched face…_

She stood awkwardly, almost drunken, but weight, sheer unnecessary weight pulled her down.

_Father…_

Her eyes fell to the stone.

_It is you who shall fall to the ground. You will be the one attached to the earth._

_Not me…_

_I, your prodigy no more, will rise in your defeat, and step upon it in my sheer might._

Azula felt her conscience clear. She concentrated on her breath as her body spun completely around, allowing her blue death to escape from her palms. She felt its heat as it fled from her soul.

But Zuko was quicker. He raised his masculine hands and sprang into the air. Then, his arms fell as two separate red waves unified, and propelled toward Azula.

The siblings' flames collided in an amazing display of raw power.

_Extinguished…_

A flustered Azula leaped forward, kicking flames from her feet. There were three in a row, each intensifying with the Comet's great blessing.

_Agni has empowered this comet and bequeathed its will to me. Each blast that escapes from my fingertips has the signature of the rising sun. Soaring across the red sky, it leaves me untouchable._

_And here we meet in fire…_

Zuko propelled a searing blast from his hands, blocking her fire. His flame consumed the stone and heated it. Azula felt the warmth under her feet as she roared flames from her mouth. Smoke flared from her nostrils. Zuko held her fire in his hands, cooling it to a bright orange. He set it free, giving it to her with a trenchant frown.

Azula dodged it. Her fists clenched and her signature blue fire escaped from her knuckles. Riding her own flames, she sent a violent discharge at his face.

_Perhaps I could burn you as our father did. Of course, if I burned you, you probably would have lost your vision. Father's fire is just so weak. You are still standing from it. No, if it were up to me, you would have been down for a lifetime, never to rise again._

_I would not regret killing you. As you stand here, I find that you are my only obstacle from the throne._

_But the great Agni wishes me well today…_

Zuko grunted as he extinguished her fire with his own. It scattered the ground and scorched close buildings in its path.

Azula huffed and growled in jealousy, and cradled a newborn flare in her palms. She quickly nourished it with her breath and weaned it with a sadistic force, sending it back to her brother, hoping and praying that it would falter him.

But it did not. He grabbed an inferno of his own and sent it back to her.

_So powerful. Oh, how I misjudged him. The Avatar has graced him with a new drive of fire, perhaps more prevailing than my own._

_Wait…_

_They are here again. They are eying me once again._

_The foreshadow of my fall is in the hands of their malicious greed._

_Perhaps I will fall today. Maybe my mother's words meant something._

_They symbolized too much emotion. They have crowded my conscience and left my head in a daze._

_I am confused._

_Perhaps it is me who does not know the difference between right and wrong…_

_But I am doing this for my nation. The greatest civilization has bestowed me with this responsibility._

_What in the name of Agni is wrong with that?_

_Nothing, dammit!_

In her ravenous ecstasy, Azula held two separate flames. Grasping onto them like lassos, she whipped them into the air. Zuko punched forward, a stream of flames counteracting her own. Both brother and sister pressed hard with their fists as two seemingly identical blasts slipped to one side of the arena. Zuko slowly began to slide backward, tying desperately to keep her enormous, extravagant flames at bay.

But he regained his footing, sending a path of orange fire at Azula. She dodged it with a slight movement, but shock overpowered her.

Both held a cease-fire. Azula peered back behind her, viewing her brother's newfound might. The building was scorched pitch black, tearing hefty orange flames from each side. Flustered and upset, she gazed back at him. She leaped up into the air onto a long stretch of flames conceived from her feet. Almost in a fluid dance, Zuko encircled himself in a shield of his own.

_I have to stop…_

_Man overpowers me too much, now._

_I cannot take it!_

_I will not!_

_Father, is this your will?_

On the ground, Azula panted deeply, her sporadic breaths obviously labored. Gritting her teeth, she watched Zuko open his fist, two massive fireballs protruded from the other. Almost in an artsy fashion, they intertwined into one and spiraled beautifully.

A slowed reaction on her part.

His flames burned in her eyes as she barely dodged the faultless blast.

_Perfect precision…_

_Perfect form…_

_Perfect everything…_

_Why have the tides turned on me?_

_Have I lost the love of the spirits as well?_

_Who else shall I lose?_

She propelled herself to the right with her own jet of flames, as they carried her, she punched forward twice, producing two enormous fire blasts in Zuko's direction. Allowing himself to crouch, he launched his fingers and blocked one. In reaction to the second gust, he hurdled through the air. Spinning his heals downward, his body rotated to shield himself as he shot an orange flame at his sister.

Still riding her fire, Azula spun around him, creating a hellish circle. With her movement, he conceived a trail, following her.

_But I am much too fast for you, Zuko. Perhaps I still have luck on my side._

Zuko's attempts ceased. He launched numerous sweeping kicks, creating a wall-like ring. Launching it onward, Azula's hands raised in protest. She quickly tried to create a blue shield, but she failed, and Zuko's seemingly _weak_ attack connected and penetrated her.

_Falling…_

_But the laughter! It rings a bloody tune in my ears._

_They are all here, all of them._

_Mai, Ty Lee, Mother, Father…_

_All here to see the demise of the greatest firebender in the Fire Nation._

_Have I not the control to fight them off anymore?_

_Is fear not the answer?_

Azula knocked herself onto the ground, propelled at a radical speed by her own momentum. Picking up the pieces, she slowly emerged. Her hair had escaped the clutches of her weak braid and covered of _seemingly_ flawless face.

_What has become of me?_

_Agni has left me. I can feel it._

_He sides with Zuko, now._

_Understandable. I never had much respect for the spirits anyway. They bless the Avatar with his philosophical wisdom._

_Not me…_

_Best to screw them. I can win this fight all on my own._

_I do not need my parents, my friends, or even the Spirit World to survive._

_I help myself…_

Zuko's voice got in the way, "No lightning today? What's the matter? Afraid I'll redirect it?"

_Oh, how you continue to impress me, Brother. You ask for your own death wish without even the slightest hesitation._

_Or even the slightest care…_

_Do you think that your life is not sacred? Not that I ever believed that yours ever was, but audacity is not in your favor._

_You have now blessed me with a newfound strength…_

"Oh, I'll show you _lightning!_"

Azula's body and arms rotated into an arc to create the lightning of energy within her body. Spiraling through the movements, she found that she was almost off balance.

_Crazy…_

_Insane…_

_Maybe I am…_

Once finished, she held the electric charge at her breast, empowering it with the vigor of her inner soul. She waited to strike.

_Surprise is my second element, Zuko._

But it was not her brother she wished to kill. No, she yearned to shatter his heart first.

Her eyes focused to the left, seeing the Water Tribe peasant behind Zuko.

_Filthy thing. Termination will be your final reverie…_

She released the lightning as if she had just given birth to it. It was full of embellished might as it swerved toward Katara's heart.

_Your heart will beat its final tune._

_Your blood will cease to cleanse the innards of your body._

_Never will you rise alive._

_Dead you will be…_

_And Zuko will be destroyed from the inside out, torn by your loss._

_Regret?_

_Mercy?_

_Never will I stray from my very essence._

_My book of life…_

Azula steadied herself as she carefully watched Zuko's reaction. Shock spelled across his face as he gazed to his right. Almost instinctively, his feet began to move. He would fail another, as he did to his uncle and Mai.

_Even if it would cost him his own life…_

"No!"

His hand extended as he grabbed the lightning. Holding it at his chest, he remained in the air for a long period before dropping to the ground.

_Who is on top now, my brother?_

_What do you think of that, Mother?_

_I am personally responsible for my own brother's death._

_I am so proud…_

"Zuko!"


	9. Chapter Eight: Fallen From Grace

Chapter Eight: Fallen From Grace

_No movement…_

_No nothing…_

_Is he dead?_

_If only I knew._

_No…_

_Curse the spirits!_

Zuko slowly rose as his wounds rapidly shocked him. Sending a rage of pain through his chest, he grimaced weakly.

_Slow death, perhaps?_

His eyes wandered helplessly around him. He saw destruction, not life. He noted the wrath of his actions.

Behind him, Katara gasped as she realized that the man that had just saved her life had regained consciousness. She charged for him, swirling a healing water glove onto her right arm.

But it backfired.

Azula, almost using her _maternal instincts,_ threw a colossal ball of fire at the girl, keeping her clear of her brother.

_You cannot change destiny, you stupid peasant. Zuko is going to die here, as I will assume my rightful place upon the throne._

_The Fire Nation is mine to lead. I deserve to hold it in my hands._

_Zuko is nothing but a mirror image of my father. Both embrace weakness as if it is something to protect. They see nothing of failure._

_But I do not know failure. I have aced every little task I have faced in life._

_"I need a suitor, an heir to the throne. That is all I ask of you."_

_No!_

_I still refuse to hear those words, Father. How many times do I have to tell you?_

_I have done my part as your puppet._

_I am done with you…_

Laughing in satisfaction, Azula charged a bolt of lightning. She released it at Katara, but the peasant dodged it, running off swiftly.

_But you, Water Tribe filth, I have yet to be done with you._

In response to her miss, she liberated another round of lightning. She expelled it with a voracious force. Katara, running at the perimeter of the plaza somersaulted and narrowly missed the charge.

_How close you come to death. Do you wish to join little Zuzu?_

Azula unshackled a hefty amount of fire from her knuckles as she flew to the roof of a small building.

_As I look down on you in disdain, I can say that I could give you some compliment. With your healing abilities, I am most assured that Zuko would survive, but of course, that risk cannot be taken at a time like this._

_He deserves his punishment…_

_As will you._

"I'd really rather our family physician look after little Zuzu if you don't mind!"

She motioned another round of lightning as she spoke, but a fluid stream blocked it, sending the bolt astray.

_No matter, little girl. I will get you, too._

She allowed two bursts of flames to escape her. Katara, frightened and shocked, ran to find shelter behind a single pillar. Azula punched more fire at the column, causing Katara to cringe in fear.

_Yes, be afraid. I am to become the nightmare of your sleepless nights. I am going to invade you like you have me. I will take your glory away from you._

_It is your fault that the Avatar survived. I almost lost the respect of my nation for that little slip-up. But before that will ever happen again, you will be mere ashes at my feet._

Azula focused her attention on Zuko. "Zuzu, you don't look so good!"

Katara then peered out from behind the pillar, allowing herself to be seen. Azula took note, and shot more lightning her way. Scampering to another one, Katara hid herself again.

_Coward, just like the whole Water Tribe. You are just a snobbish piece of trash, little pest._

_But hiding is futile. I never give up on a task undone._

_No, Father, do not say it…_

_"I need a suitor…"_

_No!_

_"An heir to the throne…"_

_Enough!_

_"That is all…"_

_Please, not again…_

_"…I ask of you."_

_"I love you, Azula."_

_Never have you loved me, Mother!_

_"I do…"_

_No!_

The sound of rushing water silenced the echoes. Focusing herself again, the bended liquid barely missed her as she rode her flames away, charging at Katara with a passion of pure hate. The Water Tribe girl attempted the same trick again, but Azula evaded it once again, her jets of flame too quick for the water to douse it.

More water swiftly flowed as Katara surfed the wave. Azula threw a fireball at it, but it still kept coming.

_Audacity is something you cannot afford._

Azula fell to the ground in a roll. Landing on her feet, she punched more rapid fire at Katara, but the speedy water kept her alive.

The water fell to the stone as the peasant stumbled and fell onto some drains. Seeing the rich liquid as if it would salvage her life, she looked up to see a handle holding metallic chains.

An idea formed into her head at that instant…

Almost losing her own balance, Azula reached for an untouched pillar.

"There you are, filthy peasant."

She walked forward, noting no movement in her opponent, but she did notice the chain she grasped in her palms.

_What is this? Does your precious gift of bending not suffice you?_

_Wait, chains mean death!_

_They mean bondage…_

_In their vicious binds, I would be weak, losing my precious virginity to the dominance of another._

The waterbender sent a few streams of liquid at Azula, but she avoided them with a fall. With only a moment of hesitation, Azula attempted to emerge, her forefinger just inches from Katara's face.

_Let the fire scorch you as it did your savior, Zuko._

As a flame slightly sparked, a massive splash of water rose under the two women.

_Frozen…_

_Where am I?_

_Has time stopped?_

_Has my heart ceased to beat?_

_But I can see you right in front of me…_

_This detestable element has left me vulnerable…_

_I will not allow it…_

Exhaling, Katara swarmed around Azula with the chains in her hands, wrapping them painfully around her wrists. Katara pulled down on her and Azula sat upon her knees in response.

_No!_

_I have not fallen to my knees!_

_I let you dominate me…_

_What have I done to myself?_

_Agni…_

_Have you endowed the power to one of the opposing element?_

_How could you?_

For what lasted an eternity, the water finally flowed under the girls. Both coughed and choked on the water that had filled their lungs. Katara, first to surface, grabbed the chains and tightened them upon the drain gratings.

Azula growled in protest.

_Bondage…_

_How the tides have turned! It is utterly not fair, so unjust are the spirits!_

_Father…_

_Mother…_

_Mai and Ty Lee…_

_Your eyes are crawling upon my wet skin. You are all here to see only me, now._

_Why did you betray me, so?_

Azula gazed forward as she watched Katara heal her wretch of a brother. She heard them mumble a few things without a care to understand them. Zuko gradually levitated with the help of Katara.

_Why must you help him?_

_And not me?_

She grimaced and howled in her ecstasy. Her breathing labored rapidly as she roared a vicious blue flame from her mouth. She fought the binds of her chains as she moved wildly, screaming a bloody murder. Without control of her own motions, she fell onto her back as tears streamed down her face.

_Why?_

_All I want is the best for my country!_

_Agni, have you turned against the elemental world?_

_The eyes!_

_You win…_

_I surrender…_

_Please…_

_Just…_

_Let me…_

_Go…_


	10. Epilogue

Epilogue

_Darkness…_

_Surrounded by obscurity…_

_No sun to caress my skin and bless my fire…_

_What have I become?_

_Metal…_

_Cold and heartless…_

_Where no life can survive…_

_Where am I?_

_I am a prisoner of my own fate, destroyed by the great spirits._

_And my own greed…_

_I have no life to live anymore._

_Why am I here?_

_Why does my heart beat?_

_Why does the world go on?_

_I was betrayed…_

_By my father…_

_Mother…_

_Those I once trusted…_

_Those who feared me most._

_I live in the darkness of the void inside my head._

_No more pitiless eyes…_

_No more faces…_

_No more voices…_

_No, they left me._

_Left me here._

_To die…_

_To rot…_

_To regret._

_What have I done?_

_Those lives I have hurt._

_A feeling in my heart._

_So newborn and misunderstood._

_So virgin am I to these emotions._

_I have never felt this way before…_

_Why did I do it?_

_I was to rule the great nation…_

_I was to be grand in the eyes of all living…_

_But that woman I once knew is gone, now._

_Where did she go?_

_Her spirit was broken…_

_And she left the pieces here with me._

_I was once Azula, crowned heir…_

_"I need a suitor, an heir to the throne…"_

_Those words still burn my heart._

_But of what use are they to me, now?_

_I am stuck between life and death._

_Rotting away in a sunless prison cell._

_Just like Mai and Ty Lee._

_Maybe I understand…_

_Perhaps I do not…_

_I have fallen into silence._

_No emotion at all._

_Precious purpose has been stolen._

_I do not know when…_

_Or where…_

_I realize, though…_

_The eyes…_

_The faces..._

_The voices…_

_They all betrayed me._

_I know why._

_As I bow down and pray, I wish it was not true._

_But deep inside my soul is the answer._

_I have known it all my life…_

_No one cares, now…_

_No one understands…_

_No one remembers…_

_Princess Azula…_

_They never have._


End file.
